3 minutes of readingNew DelhiFebruary 6, 2026 01:30 pm IST
Indian cricketer KL Rahul and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka Heated discussion on the field during IPL 2024 It caught a lot of eyeballs. The then captain was visibly involved in a public argument with Goenka, after a heavy defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad. In a recent interview, Rahul’s father-in-law, actor Suniel Shetty, spoke about the dispute. He also expressed his pride in the cricketer for representing the country.
During a conversation with Lehr Retro, he admitted that KL Rahul is aware of the love he received after the incident and said, “People feel the same way about him and he is aware of that, he has all the love and sympathy. He never said a word till date. He never spoke about it, we never discussed that at home. Maybe, Sanjeev ji was going through something in his life in that period and that’s how we saw it.”
The veteran actor further added, “Of course, it hurt him, because the world is watching. The world wanted to take decisions and the world was issuing statements. But those are not our statements. That shows the love for Rahul, for the family, but I don’t think we have gone into that as well.”
Although Suniel is proud of his achievements, he does not watch the cricket match when his son-in-law is playing on the ground. “The most important thing for me is that Rahul represents the country itself. If he is captain, vice-captain or leader from the front, responsible for India’s victory, that is a big achievement for us automatically. But, for all of us, it is about him representing the country and his personality. I watch every match, but I never watch when Rahul plays,” he revealed.
He continued, “I only watch the highlights then. Yesterday too, Ahan was watching, I didn’t go in. I don’t know if it’s superstition or I get anxious, maybe that’s why. I don’t see Rahul playing on the field, I absolutely don’t see him. I see him later in the highlights, for sure.”
KL Rahul is happily married to Suniel Shetty’s daughter Athiya Shetty. After marrying in January 2023, the couple welcomed their first daughter, Evaarah, in March 2025.
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KL Rahul and Sanjiv Goenka’s viral fight
Rahul captained LSG from 2022 to 2024, a mandate that often placed him at the center of intense scrutiny. In 2024 IPLafter a 10-wicket loss to SSRwhere LSG lost brutally, cameras captured a visibly angry Goenka expressing his disappointment to Rahul on the field. After the incident, Cricket said it wasn’t the “best” thing to be a part of and it affected the entire team.
After widespread criticism of the moment on social media, Rahul was not signed by LSG for the 2025 season and was picked up by Capitals of Delhi instead. Later, in April 2025, after winning a match with Delhi Capitals against his former team, KL Rahul spotted avoiding handshake with Sanjiv Goenkawho wanted to congratulate him on the victory.